With $1.4 trillion in assets, 161-year-old Wells Fargo enriched its quarterly common payout 14%, to 25 cents a share from 22 cents, for a current 2.8% yield. That's worth $632 million more cash annually to investors.

The bank has paid dividends continuously since 1939. Prior to the nation's housing and financial crisis, Wells Fargo was distributing 34 cents a share, but, in March 2009, it slashed its payout 85%, to a nickel a share, saving it $5 billion a year. That's where the dividend stayed for two years, until the bank declared a 12-cent quarterly and then a hike to 22 cents in April 2012.

San Francisco–based Wells is the nation's fourth-largest bank by assets and its biggest private-mortgage lender. CEO John Stumpf said the new dividend reflects "the confidence we have in our company's performance," adding that "we remain committed to returning more capital to our shareholders." Rivals Bank of America and Citigroup still pay just a penny a share each.

Wells posted record fourth-quarter profit of $4.9 billion, or 91 cents a share. Stumpf in a CNBC interview said the housing market has "turned the corner" and that the improvement has had a multiplier effect. However, he cautioned that the economic recovery suffers from uncertainty.

North Carolina's BB&T, with $184 billion in assets, sweetened its quarterly common dividend 15%, to 23 cents a share from 20 cents. That's worth an extra $84 million to holders yearly and gives the stock a 3% yield. Dividends have been paid without interruption since 1903.

In May 2009, BB&T snapped a 37-year string of consecutive payout enhancements with a 68% cut in its quarterly, to 15 cents a share from 47 cents. Roughly two years later, the rate went to 16 cents and then to 20 cents a year after that.

Benefiting from better credit and loan growth, BB&T posted a 29% surge in fourth-quarter earnings from a year earlier, to $506 million, or 71 cents a share. It achieved record net income for the year as a whole of $1.9 billion, or $2.70 a share. With corporate roots stretching back to 1872, BB&T is the nation's ninth-biggest bank, based on deposits. Actually, it was one of the few large banks to score a profit every quarter over the past five years. CEO Kelly King said BB&T anticipates loan growth between 2% and 4% this quarter, and that number could grow later in 2013, depending on the economy.

Comerica, which is chiefly a commercial lender, is putting its dividend on the road back from being slashed during the financial meltdown to a nickel a share from 66 cents. Payouts doubled in November 2010 and then were boosted to 15 cents in March 2012. Last week's increase was to 17 cents a share, which will cost the Dallas-based bank about $15 million more a year. Comerica credited the hike to its "strong capital position and solid financial performance." Yielding 2% with the new dividend, the shares were recently quoted at about their $34 52-week high.

The company bought back 10.1 million shares in 2012, and that, combined with dividends, made for a return of 79% of net income to investors. Dividends have been ongoing since 1936.

CEO Ralph Babb says the bank is benefiting from its strong position in Texas and other growth markets, with car dealers and energy companies taking out loans. Fourth-quarter profit jumped 35%.